Secret meeting over city submission and Ajax calls for election financing reform

New:  Lewenza lashes out

Well, that’s not really new, but I got my morning chuckle from his comment in Grace Macaluso’s column this morning:

Lewenza lumped Halberstadt in with the small group of dissidents “who are often negative and like to create a lot of noise.”

Halberstadt’s true constituents aren’t the residents of Windsor, but the online bloggers more interested in raising their profiles than offering constructive ideas, he said.

This was in response to both my and Councillor Halberstadt’s suggestion that the feasibility study for the airport cargo hub be funded from the profitable Windsor Airport:

In the absence of any financial statements on the part of the Windsor Airport commission to support their request for funding, I am baffled as to why the airport commission requires the use of city funds from the city’s capital budget?

What we expect from local non-profits in terms of financial disclosure must also apply to city commissions, committees or corporations.

As council will recall, Mayor Francis was quoted in the Windsor Star on January 29, 2009 as saying, the airport is “making money. We’re in a cash-positive position” and had access to a “$1.1 million reserve fund.”

If the airport was in a cash-positive position, why is it that one month later, the commission is coming cap in hand before council seeking over $200,000 from the city’s capital budget for funding for Phase One of a possible three phase feasibility study?

I guess Councllor Lewenza was too jet-lagged to hear the question properly.

A little message to Ken Lewenza Jr.

I don’t go before council to do your job.  

 I’m there to ask questions of you that I expect you can answer and possibly consider.  If you want WeACT to offer constructive ideas , then listen to the questions. 

I shouldn’t have to spell it out for you.

PS to Councillor Buy Foreign:

Online bloggers are your constituents. 

Behind Closed Doors:  Council to discuss submission to Ministry

In another closed-door session, councillors will review the city’s submission to the Ministry of the Environment.

I’ve really had enough of this nonsense.  In fact, I’m so angry right now I have half the mind to walk down to City Hall tomorrow afternoon to loudly protest this move.

What does council have to hide from residents? 

We have already heard two lengthy presentations at city council regarding their position as it relates to the DRIC. 

They are supposedly reviewing their submission to the Ministry of the Environment – ergo, they are making their case known to the Government Ministry.

Why are they hiding this from the public?

Below, the email I received today from Ms. Becky Murray, as I was scheduled to speak at the Tunnel Commission meeting:

Due to the special in-camera meeting of Council scheduled for tomorrow, the meeting of the WINDSOR TUNNEL COMMISSION SCHEDULED FOR 3:00 P.M., ON THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 2009 HAS BEEN CANCELLED AND RESCHEDULED TO THURSDAY, MARCH 5, 2009 AT 3:00 P.M., IN THE WALKERVILLE MEETING ROOM.

_____________________________________________
From: Critchley, Valerie
Sent: February 25, 2009 4:16 PM
To: City Council; mayoro
Cc: Skorobohacz, John; Reidel, Helga; Tyagi, Dev; Duben, Michael; Warsh, Ronna; Wilkki, George; Sonego, Mario; Galvin, Mark; Colucci, Onorio; Cian, Gary; Vlachodimos, Steve; Murray, Becky
Subject: URGENT – TIME CHANGE – IN CAMERA MEETING – FEBRUARY 26, 2009

Good Afternoon Members of Council:

Please be advised that the time for the Special In Camera meeting of Windsor City Council originally scheduled for Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 4:30 pm has been re-scheduled to Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 3:00pm.  This change has been made to allow Council ample opportunity to meet with its legal counsel for the urgent purpose of reviewing the City’s submission to the Minister of the Environment respecting the DRIC Environmental Assessment Report prior to the submission deadline of Friday, February 27, 2009.

As a result, the Windsor Tunnel Commission Meeting originally scheduled for Thursday, February 26, 2009 at 3:00pm has been re-scheduled to Thursday, March 5, 2009 at 3:00pm in the Walkerville Room, 350 City Hall Square West.

A media advisory regarding the foregoing will be issued shortly.

Best Regards,

Valerie Critchley

City Clerk

The Corporation of the City of Windsor

(519) 255-6100 ext.6434

vcritchley@city.windsor.on.ca

Ajax calls for election financing reform

Ajax city councillors are leading the way by calling for a ban on corporate and trade union donations to municipal candidates.

Council passed a resolution on February 9, 2009 calling upon the Province of Ontario to permit municipalities to do so.  I’ve included a link to my previous blog about this topic as well as a link to Robert MacDermid’s report.

With all this discussion regarding new economies and building communities that attract the “creative class”; reform of municipal governance must be undertaken that supports truly open, transparent and accountable municipal government.

The motion reads as follows:

WHEREAS the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 enables individuals normally resident in Ontario, corporations that carry on business in Ontario and unions that hold bargaining rights for employees in Ontario to make contributions of up to $750 in total to any candidate for all municipal offices, with the exception of candidates for Mayor of Toronto who are permitted to accept maximum individual contributions of $2,5000; and,

WHEREAS the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 [S. 70.1(1)] provides that the City of Toronto alone “may by by-law prohibit a corporation that carries on business in Ontario or a trade union that holds bargaining rights for employees in Ontario from making a contribution to and/or for any candidate for an office on city council.”; and,

WHEREAS a recent study by Prof. Robert MacDermid, titled “Funding City Politics”, examined financial contributions to municipal election campaigns in the Greater Toronto Area and, in particular, raised issues with respect to the amount and potential influence of contributions from land and property development corporations; and,

WHEREAS no corporate or trade union contributions to municipal candidates and parties have been permitted in Quebec since 1980; both Quebec and Manitoba have banned corporate and union contributions to Provincial candidates and parties; and all such contributions were prohibited from federal electoral politics prior to the last Canadian election;

BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Government of Ontario be requested to amend the Municipal Elections Act, 1996 to provide all municipalities in the Province with the authority to pass a by-law that would prohibit a corporation that carries on business in Ontario or a trade union that holds bargaining rights for employees in Ontario from making a contribution to or for any candidate for an office on the respective municipal council.